Device and method for monitoring a gas volume in a unit filled with liquid

ABSTRACT

A device for monitoring a gas volume in a unit filled with a liquid, where the unit has an inlet line with at least one expansion chamber, and the device includes one or more buoyant bodies floating in the liquid. The floating buoyant body is connected to a shaft, fixed in the expansion chamber and mounted pivotally relative to the shaft. The gas volume above the liquid may be recorded rapidly and with high accuracy, by measuring the torque generated by the buoyant body, or an angle to the horizontal. There is also disclosed a method for monitoring a gas volume in a unit filled with liquid, by way of a floating buoyant body.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation OF COPENDING APPLICATION Ser. No.10/583,337, FILED Jun. 19, 2006 which is a 35 U.S.C. §371 application ofPCT/DE2004/002656, which claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119 ofGerman Application DE 103 61 884.8, incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a device for monitoring a gas volume in a unitfilled with a liquid, the unit being connected via an inflow line to atleast one expansion vessel and the device including a buoyant bodyfloating in the liquid. For the purposes of the invention, the expansionvessel represents a vessel which can receive the liquid expanding viathe inflow line of the unit, and represents a gas collecting container,such as for example a Buchholz relay, which is arranged upstream of aliquid expansion vessel. Furthermore, the invention relates to a methodfor monitoring a gas volume in a unit filled with liquid by means of afloating buoyant body in an expansion vessel of the unit.

In large transformers, adequate cooling of the units is absolutelynecessary on account of the great magnetic and electrical losses thatoccur during operation and the associated heating of the transformers.For this purpose, the cores and windings of these transformers aremounted in a liquid container, in particular an oil tank. The coolingliquid located in the tank—usually a transformer oil—expands duringoperation on account of the heating of the transformer, the excesscooling liquid being collected in an expansion vessel provided above thetransformer. In addition to the heat-induced expansion of the liquid,gases may be additionally released from the cooling liquid or producedwithin the unit or the connecting lines on account of the strong heatingof the cooling liquid or on account of chemical-physical processesoccurring in the transformer. Likewise, a leak within the unit or theconnecting lines may cause the ambient air to penetrate into thisgastight circuit and accumulate within the unit or in the expansionvessels. Owing to their density, these gases collect in the expansionvessels located above the transformer.

In their function as gas collecting containers, these expansion vesselsare usually also referred to as Buchholz relays. The German industrystandard DIN 42566 stipulates that, when operating an oil-cooledtransformer, a warning message must be issued if a predetermined gasvolume within the unit is exceeded. Reaching the predetermined gasvolume is in this case detected within the Buchholz relay as acorresponding expansion vessel and gas collecting container, which isarranged upstream of an actual liquid expansion vessel. The liquidexpansion vessel serves exclusively for receiving the expanding liquidand is therefore an open system, in contact with the ambient air. Ifthere is a liquid in the liquid expansion vessel and no additional gasesare formed within the unit, the expansion vessel (Buchholz relay) iscompletely filled with liquid. On the basis of the warning messagedetected in the expansion vessel, a possible critical state of thetransformer is indicated and can be investigated by a thoroughinspection of the transformer.

In addition, DE 101 33 615 C1 discloses a device for detectingundissolved gases in units filled with liquid, in particularhigh-voltage units, the variation over time of the production of gas ina Buchholz relay being determined by means of the device. The measuringdevice proposed in DE 101 33 615 comprises a differential pressuremeasuring device, which is connected via two liquid-filled lines to atleast two pressure measuring connections. The liquid-filled lines are inthis case connected on the one hand to the interior of the Buchholzrelay and on the other hand to an upwardly open reference liquid column.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to detect quickly and reliablythe gas volume present in a unit filled with liquid.

For this purpose, it is provided according to the invention that afloating buoyant body is connected to a shaft fixed in the expansionvessel and is mounted rotatably with respect to the shaft. For thepurposes of the invention, the rotatable mounting of the shaft comprisesthe articulation of the buoyant body with respect to a rigid shaft, andalso the rotation of the shaft about three axes of rotation of the shaftwith a buoyant body fixedly connected to the shaft. The floating buoyantbody reproduces the vertical level of the surface of the liquid withinthe expansion vessel, so that the additional knowledge of the shape andsize of the expansion vessel can be used to conclude the gas volumelocated above the liquid.

A connecting element, in particular a rod of a small diameter and lowown weight, expediently connects the shaft to the buoyant body kept at adistance from the latter. The relative height of the shaft with respectto the liquid surface and the length of the connection determine themeasuring range of the gas volume to be detected and the accuracy of thegas detection.

A fixed-in-place force transducer advantageously detects the torque onthe connection at a predetermined length (a). If a predetermined torqueis exceeded by a torque measured in the force transducer, a processingdevice generates a warning message. With respect to the relativeposition of the shaft in the expansion vessel, the predetermined torqueis a measure of the maximum gas volume to be detected within anexpansion vessel used as a Buchholz relay for issuing a warning messageand consequently conforms to the industry standard DIN 42566.

It is also advantageous that a number of buoyant bodies are arranged atfixed vertical levels, respectively offset from one another with respectto the shafts arranged parallel to one another, the respective buoyantbodies being of different sizes and/or densities. By providing buoyantbodies of different densities at different vertical levels of individualshafts, different gases can be detected and/or the accuracies of the gasvolume measurement by means of the determined gas volumes of thedifferent gas volume measurements can be calibrated. However, for thedetection of different gases, it is necessary that the expansion vesselis subdivided into separate chambers and only one gas can berespectively determined in each chamber by a buoyant body located in thechamber. Alternatively, a fixed-in-place angulometer detects the anglebetween the connection of the buoyant body and a transverse axis of theshaft. It is likewise possible by means of determining an angle to usethe knowledge of the size and shape of the expansion vessel to determinea gas volume located above the liquid. If a predetermined angle of theconnection of the floating body in relation to the horizontal isexceeded, a processing device in the expansion vessel used as a Buchholzrelay generates a warning message and consequently likewise conforms tothe industry standard DIN 42566.

The buoyant body advantageously includes additional capacitive and/orinductive and/or optical elements, a processing device detecting theelectromagnetic and/or electrical and/or optical signals generated bythem. The use of additional, alternative volume-determining methodsmakes it possible for the gas volumes that are respectively determinedto be calibrated with one another.

According to the invention, a method for monitoring a gas volume in aunit filled with a liquid is provided, the unit having an inflow linewith at least one expansion vessel and a buoyant body that floats in theliquid being located in the expansion vessel and the buoyant body beingconnected in the expansion vessel to a fixed shaft and mounted rotatablywith respect to the shaft, the rotating movement of the floating bodywith respect to the shaft being determined. The shaft is advantageouslyfixed at a fixed vertical level within the expansion vessel on the basisof a maximum gas volume to be detected in relation to the inner side ofthe upper covering of the expansion vessel and the shaft is fixed atfixed vertical levels by means of a fixing device, in particular in theform of recesses provided along a mount.

Since the gas volume to be detected always accumulates above the liquidin the expansion vessel used as a Buchholz relay, the gas volume to bedetected can expediently be fixed with respect to the inner side of theupper covering and consequently the vertical level of the shaft to befixed can be determined.

Further advantageous measures are described in the remaining subclaims;the invention is described in more detail on the basis of exemplaryembodiments and the following figures, in which:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of the device according to theinvention;

FIG. 2 shows a schematic representation of a gas detection system withtwo devices according to the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of the device according to theinvention as an expansion vessel 1 a. The expansion vessel 1 a, arrangedabove a transformer (not represented), is connected via a connectingline (not represented) to an access opening 2. The expansion vessel 1 ais also connected via an outlet opening 3 to a downstream expansionvessel 1 b (not represented), it likewise being possible for thedownstream liquid expansion vessel to be designed as an expansion vessel1 a with an outlet opening present in the upper covering (10 a). Thedownstream expansion vessel 1 b (not represented) thereby prevents anexcessive rise in pressure within the expansion vessel 1 a when it iscompletely filled with a liquid. Arranged within the expansion vessel 1a are two buoyant bodies 5, 6, the buoyant bodies 5, 6 being mountedrotatably in relation to the liquid surface of the liquid located in theexpansion vessel 1 a by means of spaced-apart connecting elements 4 a, 4b. The upper buoyant body 5 is connected to a shaft 11 at a fixedvertical level 9 and rotatably mounted. The shaft 11 is advantageouslyfixed at a fixed vertical level within the expansion vessel 1 a on thebasis of a maximum gas volume to be detected in relation to the innerside of the upper covering 10 a of the expansion vessel 1 a and theshaft 11 is fixed at fixed vertical levels by means of a fixing device17. The lower buoyant body 6 serves for switching off the entiretransformer unit if the liquid level falls below a specific level, andconsequently threatens overheating of the transformer. The same appliesto the gate check 8, which in the case of a sudden rise in pressure—suchas for example in the case of an explosion within thetransformer—ensures immediate locking of the expansion vessel 1 a. Theupper buoyant body 5 is arranged within the expansion vessel 1 a in sucha way that, in the case of gas formation in the expansion vessel 1 a,permanent detection of the gas volume is allowed. This is ensured by theupper buoyant body 5 being arranged at a predetermined distance from theinner side of the upper covering 10 a of the expansion vessel 1 a andmounted rotatably with respect to the relative level 9 that is fixed inthis way. As a result, the formation of a gas volume within theexpansion vessel 1 a can be monitored permanently and continuously upuntil a maximum predetermined gas volume is reached, and a warningmessage can be issued by the system if the maximum predetermined gasvolume is exceeded. The buoyant body 5 advantageously includesadditional capacitive and/or inductive and/or optical elements 18, aprocessing device 15 detecting the electromagnetic and/or electricaland/or optical signals generated by them. The density and size of thebuoyant bodies 5, 6 and the length of the connecting elements 4 a, 4 bare determined in dependence on the liquid used, and consequently on thebasis of the maximum possible torque caused by the buoyancy of thefloating body 5 in relation to the shaft 11. The force transducer 7,connected to the upper buoyant body 5 or the upper connecting element 4a, permanently reproduces the moment of force or torque generated by thebuoyant body 5 and is consequently a measure of the gas volume locatedin the expansion vessel 1 a, which as a result can be detected quicklyand reliably. A fixed-in place angulometer or stationary protractor 16may be used to detect the angle between the connection of the buoyantbody 5 and a transverse axis of the shaft for determining an angle toand thereby use the knowledge of the size and shape of the expansionvessel 1 a to determine a gas volume located above the liquid.

FIG. 2 shows a schematic representation of a unit 12 with two expansionvessels 1 a, 1 b according to the invention. An inflow line 13 isarranged on a liquid container 14, in particular a high-voltagetransformer unit, in the region of the cover of the liquid container 14.The inflow line is connected via the access opening 2 to a firstexpansion vessel 1 a. The first expansion vessel 1 a serves fordetecting the gas volume of the unit 12 collecting in the expansionvessel 1 a. Via an outlet opening 3, the first expansion vessel 1 a isconnected by means of a further inflow line 13 to a second expansionvessel 1 b, arranged higher, via the access opening 2. Furthermore, theoutlet opening 3 is located in the upper covering 10 a (not represented)and serves for equalization with the ambient air. The gas volumemeasured in the second expansion vessel 1 b is then measured at ambientpressure.

1-10. (canceled)
 11. A device for monitoring a gas volume in a unitfilled with a liquid, the unit having an inflow line with at least oneexpansion vessel, the device comprising: a stationary shaft mounted inthe expansion vessel; at least one buoyant body floating in the liquid,said buoyant body being connected to said shaft and pivotally mountedwith respect to said shaft; a connecting element connecting said buoyantbody to said shaft at a spacing distance from said shaft; and astationary protractor disposed to measure an angle between saidconnecting element and a horizontal axis extending transversely to saidshaft.
 12. The device according to claim 11, which further comprises aprocessing device connected to receive a signal from said protractor,and wherein, when a predetermined angle of said connecting element isexceeded, said processing device generates a warning signal.
 13. Thedevice according to claim 11, further wherein said stationary protractoris disposed to detect an inclination of said buoyant body relative to ahorizontal.
 14. The device according to claim 13, which furthercomprises a processing device connected to receive a signal from saidprotractor, and wherein, when a predetermined inclination of saidbuoyant body is exceeded, said processing device generates a warningsignal.
 15. A method for monitoring a gas volume in a unit filled with aliquid, the method which comprises: providing the unit with an inflowline and at least one expansion vessel; providing a buoyant bodyfloating in or on the liquid in the expansion vessel, with the buoyantbody being pivotally connected to a stationary shaft by a connectingelement connecting the buoyant body to the shaft at a spacing distancefrom the shaft, and detecting a pivoting movement of the floating bodywith respect to the shaft by using a stationary protractor disposed tomeasure an angle between the connecting element and a horizontal axisextending transversely to the shaft.
 16. The method according to claim15, which comprises fixing the shaft at a defined vertical level withinthe expansion vessel as determined on a basis of a maximum gas volume tobe detected relative to an inner surface of a top cover of the expansionvessel.
 17. The method according to claim 15, which comprises mountingthe shaft with a fixing device at predetermined vertical levels withinthe expansion vessel.